The Clinical Impact of a False-Positive Urine Cocaine Screening Result on a Patient's Pain Management

摘要

BackgroundThe urine of a patient admitted for chest and epigastric pain tested positive for cocaine using an immunoassay-based drug screening method (positiveegative cutoff concentration 150ng/mL). Despite the patient's denial of recent cocaine use, this positive cocaine screening result in conjunction with a remote history of drug misuse impacted the patient's recommended pain therapy. Specifically, these factors prompted the clinical team to question the appropriateness of opioids and other potentially addictive therapeutics during the treatment of cancer pain from previously undetected advanced pancreatic carcinoma.